Lubricating device for railway-vehicle axle



E. MOONEY.

LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY VEHICLE AXLES.

APPLICATION FILED DECJG, 1920.

Patented Sept. 6, 192L J m n s g U EJ TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST MOONEY, OF YORK, ENGLAND.

msonte;

Speeification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6 1921.

Application filed December 16, 1920. Serial No. 431,138.

To aZZ whom it may concm:

Be it known that I, ERNEST MOONEY, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at York, in the county of York, England, have inventedcertain new and useful mprovements in Lubricating Devices forRailway-Vehicle Axles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that kind of railway axle lubrcating device inwhich an absorbent pad connected to or formed integral' with capillaryfeeders dipping into the oil in the aXle-boX is supported in contactwith the journal by means of a spring frame or carrier constructed offlexible stri metal for enabling it to be easily inserted into theaXle-boX; my object being to provide the lubricating device with meansby which dust or snow shall be prevented from entering the axle-box witha View to materially increasing the efiiciency of the said lubricatingdevice as a whole. V

According to my invention, the spring frame of the lubricating device isConstructed with flexible end members carrying a front shield and a rearshield so arranged that on the lubricating device being passed intoposition the said shields are caused to press against the front andrearends respectively of the aXle-boX in such a manner as to efiectuallyexclude dust or snow, and this without in -any way interferng with theaction of the spring frame in its work of supporting the lubricating padin contact with the journal.

The end members of the spring frame may Conveniently comprise eitherfieXible metal strips or crossed fiexible levers attached directly tothe said spring frame, while the shields themselves Would be of a widthslightly less than the interior of the aXlebox and would be faced withfelt or other pliable material of a width either equal to that ofthe'shields or of a width slightly larger than that of the aXle-boX. i

In the accompanyingsheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectionof an axle-box showing the lubricating device with its front and rearshields in the operative position theren. Fig. 2 is a front endelevation of the same axle-box showing particularlythe front shield ofthe lubricating device, the hinged lid of the aXle-box being omitted forthe purpose of illustration; while Fig. 3 is a rear transverse sectionof the same aXle-boX showing particularly the rear shield of thelubricating device. 4

eferring to the drawings, 1 is the axlebox fitted with a hinged lid 2,while 3 is the axle and 4 the journal turning in bearings in theaxle-box 1. The known lubricating device consists of an absorbent pad 5formed integral with capillary feeders 6 dipping into the oil in theaxle-box l and being supported in contact with the journal 4 by means ofa spring fram'e comprising a cradle 7 a transverse bearer strip 8central to the Cradle 7, a base member 9 attached to longitudinal sidemembers 10 by transverse strips ll, and double elliptical side members12 attached to the longitudinal side members 10 and to the ends of thetransverse bearer strip 8.

According to my invention the double elliptical side members 12 of thespring frame are constructed with forwardly projecting fiexible metalside strips 13 and real'- wardly projecting flexible metal side strips14, respectively carrying a front shield 15 and a rear shield 16. Thefront and rear shields 15, 16 are of a width slightly less than theinterior width of the axle-box 1 and are respectively faced with`a layerof felting material 15 16 and the front shield 15 is pressed outwardlyby the fiexible side strips 13 with its bottom edge against the frontinterior of the aXle-box 1 and with its top edge against the interior ofthe lid 2 of the said axle-box 1, while the rear shield 16 is pressed bythe iiexible side strips 14 outwardly with its fiat face against theback interior surface of the axle-box 1 and upwardly with its top edgeengaging the lower part of the axle 3 which it encircles.

It will now be understood that when the lubricating device is in theoperative position as shown in the drawings, the front shield 15 willeffectuallyprevent dust or Snow from entering the axle-box 1 by wa ofthe oil aperture in the event of the hinged lid 2 being left open; andfurther, that the rear shield 16 will efiectually prevent dust or Snowfrom entering the axle-box 1 by way of the rear aperture in the event 17being omitted. i

By providing the lubricating device with of the guard the shields 15 and16 above described, the efliciency of the lubrcating device as a wholewill be materially increased.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure bv Letters Patent is2- 1. In a lubricating device of the kind specified; the combinationwith an absorbent pad connected to or formed integral with capillaryfeeders and being supported on a spring frame or carrier constructed offlexible strip metal, of frrnt and rear shields carried on fiexible endmembers att-ached directly to the spring frame or carrier, substantiallyas described.

2. In a lubricating device of the kind specified; the combination withan absorbent pad connected to or formed integral with capillary feedersand being supported'on a spring frame having double elliptical sidemembers, of front and rear shields faced with felt or other pliablematerial and being carried on flexible end members attached directly tothe double elliptical side members oI' the spring frame 'or carrier, asdescribed.

3. In a lubricating device of the kind specified; the combination withan absorbent pad connected to or formed integral with capillary feedersand being supported on a spring frame having double elliptical sidemembers, of front and rear shields faced with felt or other pliablematerial and being carried on flexible end members comprising metal sidestrips attached directly to the double elliptical side members of thespring frame or carrier, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

ERNEST MOONEY.

Witnesses:

JOHN JOWETT, CYRIL BELLAMY.

substantially

